Saturday, February 05, 2011, was a joyous excursion into cyberspace. With the assistance of a dear friend, I made my first presence as a BLOGGER. I created a name for my site. Now I must learn how to use the software as well as develop a design and format to please my sensibilities. I have my own set of parameters to satisfy. But, as important, I had to navigate through the layers of WordPress. Here is my first entry:

A single leaf represents the treasure trove of nature’s knowledge and wisdom. Each autumn Mother Nature baffles my senses—giving me a multitude of emotional, spiritual and visual pleasures–that do not necessarily surpass the other seasons, but set up a rivalry of sorts. How could this season compete with spring and summer? Well, it does. This year the gradual shift in colors of the leaves was a salute to brilliance–hers. It wasn’t a glacial change, but it was slow.

My photograph is emblematic of autumn’s spirit. It’s power to recreate, redefine and reinvent itself. Because one leaf returns to the earth a semblance of the past, present and unknown. Miraculously, all those fallen gems add new glory to work completed and yet to be.

This past November I wrestled with a recurrent theme: the urgency to do and savor time, which can or cannot be in my control. Hours and days seemed ungraspable, and I wanted to be more disciplined. Still, there was the beauty and plentitude of 2010’s gorgeous autumn. Leaves seemed more willing to burst with adoration. They called for attention, and it was easy to give. This leaf captured mine and gave me much more in return. Urged by friends comments about this photograph, I submitted it to the National Geographic Magazine website. With great astonishment and humility I was thrilled that it was selected for the “Your Shot” Daily Dozen (18 November, http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/your-shot/daily-dozen) and the “Your Shot” Weekly Wrapper (20November, http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/your-shot/weekly-wrapper). And, yes, it can be viewed twice on the magazine’s website. You can search week three in November on headings with Daily Dozen and Weekly Wrapper. Truly, it was a humbling experience. With gratitude and thanks to those who encouraged me.